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Wednesday, 5 March 2014

Online marketing is a practice that should be put into use by any company who wants to get ahead with their business. This should come as no surprise to anyone, but it can get a little tricky sometimes when your market isn't exactly in the mainstream.

Niche marketing is aiming for a subset of a larger market of which a product is focusing on. Targeting a specific group of consumers with a product or service because of their lifestyles, interests, or any other criteria that set them apart as that niche is a great way to get sales for your product in that market.

But, what if your product itself is technically a niche? Let's say you're trying to sell an item that has a specific purpose, and is only really in demand for one application. For example, I previously worked on a marketing team that promoted an industrial cable and hose protector for construction and factory use. That product realistically had, at best, a few dozen people looking to purchase. That doesn't mean it wasn't worthy of a marketing campaign, however.

Marketing a niche product online is almost an art. It takes a little creativity and a lot of drive to get the word out there. Most companies already do a bit of niche marketing, focusing a certain product to a certain audience. For example, Coca Cola markets its bottles and cans to homes and retail locations, but also directs its syrup and fountain products to restaurants. Everyone does it, so developing a strategy to market your niche product should benefit by simply adapting already known and accepted strategies.

The key to niche marketing is targeting, and targeting carefully. You need to find a place where no other offers for products similar to yours exist. Target those markets with advertisements, specials, or just general information about your product to generate buzz for it. Identify the gaps in the market where your product fits in, and fill it.

Filling the gap in the market online is a little easier than it sounds. The first step, if not already taken, would be to establish a web presence. Optimizing your website for your niche is essential. Use Google to find out what keywords are being searched for in your market, and optimise your site and headings with those keywords, which will make your site easier to find for your potential customers.

Utilize social media to get the word out about your product. For the cable and hose protector company I worked for, social media was laughable at best before I got there. Who wants to read Tweets from an industrial cable protector company? Some people do.

Finding the right followers for your online presence is your next step online. Participate in industry and market blogs or other social media pages to promote your page. The reason you create a niche product is because at least some people will buy it, so go out and find those people.

Finding them and getting them to follow isn't enough, however. Interaction is essential to social media. Posting daily and not following through is a great way to lose followers. Comment, like, and interact with your customers. They'll see that, and appreciate it. They may even recommend your product to a friend.

Once you master your online presence, focus on marketing as a whole. Your product or service is unique. Sell that idea. Companies who offer more mainstream products don't have to worry too much about the advertising, but you should. People generally don't know what they want until they're told about it. Go out and tell some people!

About The Author: This post was written by Eric Kneff, a marketing specialist for Titan Construction, a New Orleans based Construction Company. He has interests in marketing and business development.

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My name is Derek Jones and I'm the owner and author of Derek's Home and Business Blog, an award-winning blog which provides the latest search engine news, reviews plus helpful information, SEO and marketing tips to small business owners, affiliate marketers and bloggers. You can view my blog by visiting: http://www.derekjones.co

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